Galena, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Galena is a village in Delaware County
, Ohio
, United States
. The population was 653 at the 2010 census
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which, 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.81%) is water.
of 2000, there were 305 people, 122 households, and 89 families residing in the village. The population density
was 509.8 people per square mile (196.3/km²). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 220.6 per square mile (84.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.70% White, 0.66% Native American, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.64% of the population.
There were 122 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples
living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $46,250, and the median income for a family was $49,500. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $27,250 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $20,163. About 4.8% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.
William Carpenter platted the village in 1816 and named it Zoar, apparently identifying it with the ancient city of refuge referenced in the Biblical book of Genesis. In 1834, when residents applied for a post office, the name was disqualified because such a community already existed in Tuscarawas County. For unknown reasons, Nathan Dustin suggested the name Galena, which was immediately adopted. Long after the post office creation, the name was applied to a nearby shale formation.
Local legend tells that several names were put into a hat. Galena,the natural mineral form of lead sulfide
was the one pulled out.
The streets facing the village green, which has given the community a New England character, have always been the focus of commercial activity. Brick commercial blocks, the Dustin Inn (1828) and a Masonic lodge hall (1826), still stand on the northwest corner. Turn-of-the-century commercial blocks, including a 1906 bank now occupied by the village offices, stand on the southern edge of the square. All other vintage buildings that once created a four-sided square have been removed following fires or the creation of Hoover Reservoir in the 1950s.
The original plat set aside lots near the square for a church and school. The present Methodist church was erected in 1829 and the school in 1868. An Episcopal church stood adjacent to the school from 1877 until 1932.
While the village was established to take advantage of water power, its industrial base has always been modest. Besides the grist and saw mills, an agricultural implement factory operated from the 1860s to the 1920s along Big Walnut Creek on what is now South Walnut Street. A clay tile company with a solitary kiln was established on Holmes Street in the 1890s. It was expanded into the Galena Shale Tile and Brick Company which, for a time in the late twentieth century, filled a distinctive market niche by producing hand-molded bricks in a whole battery of kilns. This firm closed down in 1983. The plant site is now home to light industrial companies.
A railroad line was constructed through the village in 1873. Village residents collected a subscription of $13,000 to bring the line to Galena and area was donated for a depot. Although the line is abandoned, the tracks removed, and the depot grounds stand vacant, a portion of the route, including the turn-of-the-century plate girder bridge over Little Walnut Creek, is maintained by the village as a walking path.
The inauguration of municipal services came in 1924 with the incorporation of Galena. Among the early actions by the new council, led by Mayor Willard F. Bennett, was granting permission to an electric company to bring power to village residents and provide street lighting. A police officer, or marshal, was also elected in 1924, but it was not until the following year that a motorcycle was purchased for him. A volunteer fire department
was created in 1939. It has since become a part of BST & G Volunteer Fire Department in Sunbury.
Galena today remains much like it was identified in the 1880 county history, "A quiet little village."
Delaware County, Ohio
Delaware County is a fast-growing suburban county in the state of Ohio, United States, within the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau's 2004 population estimates, Delaware County's population of 142,503 made it the fastest growing county in...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 653 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
Geography
Galena is located at 40°12′55"N 82°52′54"W (40.215214, -82.881757).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), of which, 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (7.81%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 305 people, 122 households, and 89 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 509.8 people per square mile (196.3/km²). There were 132 housing units at an average density of 220.6 per square mile (84.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.70% White, 0.66% Native American, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.64% of the population.
There were 122 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $46,250, and the median income for a family was $49,500. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $27,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $20,163. About 4.8% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 or over.
Historical information
Galena was established in 1809 between Big and Little Walnut Creeks as a mill seat. A natural ten feet drop in elevation in a narrow neck between the two streams provided an excellent route for millraces and water-powered grist and saw mills were soon in operation. Gilbert Carpenter, the founder of the village, came from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, and was the first Methodist clergyman in Delaware County. His gristmill held the first church services in the area.William Carpenter platted the village in 1816 and named it Zoar, apparently identifying it with the ancient city of refuge referenced in the Biblical book of Genesis. In 1834, when residents applied for a post office, the name was disqualified because such a community already existed in Tuscarawas County. For unknown reasons, Nathan Dustin suggested the name Galena, which was immediately adopted. Long after the post office creation, the name was applied to a nearby shale formation.
Local legend tells that several names were put into a hat. Galena,the natural mineral form of lead sulfide
Lead sulfide
Lead sulfide is an ionic compound of lead and sulfur, having two possible proportions:*Lead sulfide, the ionic compound containing lead in the +2 oxidation state*Lead sulfide, the ionic compound containing lead in the +4 oxidation state...
was the one pulled out.
The streets facing the village green, which has given the community a New England character, have always been the focus of commercial activity. Brick commercial blocks, the Dustin Inn (1828) and a Masonic lodge hall (1826), still stand on the northwest corner. Turn-of-the-century commercial blocks, including a 1906 bank now occupied by the village offices, stand on the southern edge of the square. All other vintage buildings that once created a four-sided square have been removed following fires or the creation of Hoover Reservoir in the 1950s.
The original plat set aside lots near the square for a church and school. The present Methodist church was erected in 1829 and the school in 1868. An Episcopal church stood adjacent to the school from 1877 until 1932.
While the village was established to take advantage of water power, its industrial base has always been modest. Besides the grist and saw mills, an agricultural implement factory operated from the 1860s to the 1920s along Big Walnut Creek on what is now South Walnut Street. A clay tile company with a solitary kiln was established on Holmes Street in the 1890s. It was expanded into the Galena Shale Tile and Brick Company which, for a time in the late twentieth century, filled a distinctive market niche by producing hand-molded bricks in a whole battery of kilns. This firm closed down in 1983. The plant site is now home to light industrial companies.
A railroad line was constructed through the village in 1873. Village residents collected a subscription of $13,000 to bring the line to Galena and area was donated for a depot. Although the line is abandoned, the tracks removed, and the depot grounds stand vacant, a portion of the route, including the turn-of-the-century plate girder bridge over Little Walnut Creek, is maintained by the village as a walking path.
The inauguration of municipal services came in 1924 with the incorporation of Galena. Among the early actions by the new council, led by Mayor Willard F. Bennett, was granting permission to an electric company to bring power to village residents and provide street lighting. A police officer, or marshal, was also elected in 1924, but it was not until the following year that a motorcycle was purchased for him. A volunteer fire department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
was created in 1939. It has since become a part of BST & G Volunteer Fire Department in Sunbury.
Galena today remains much like it was identified in the 1880 county history, "A quiet little village."